


Heaven is a Place on Earth

by zartsy



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Black Mirror AU, F/M, M/M, San Junipero
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-18 20:35:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13689336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zartsy/pseuds/zartsy
Summary: When Alec moves to the seaside town of San Junipero, he doesn’t expect to find the love of his afterlife.aka the black mirror malec au literally nobody asked for.





	Heaven is a Place on Earth

**Author's Note:**

> yo  
> This is inspired by the season 3 episode 4 of Black Mirror called 'San Junipero'. differences to better accommodate tmi characters as well as some parts of the screenplay that weren't in the episode that i thought fit  
> this is unbeta'd and written in about a day and is by far the longest fic i've ever written so RIP and please feel free to leave comments and critiques.  
> alexandergidexn.tumblr.com

**1987**  
Water droplets had started dribbling from the sky, smattering one by one on the seaside town. Cars lined the entirety of the street, the lights of the building striking as darkness settled overhead. “PANDEMONIUM” flickered in all caps, the neon sign illuminating a sole figuring standing outside the entrance.   
Alec Lightwood did  _not_ want to enter this club- no way. But it was Saturday, and everyone else was here, so he figured he’d show up and give it a shot. Yet another car pulled up beside him, the voice of Belinda Carlisle momentarily pulling himself out of his self wallowing-   
_Ooh heaven is a place on Earth_

Letting out a flustered groan as the car splashed up a puddle, he brushed his already damp locks out of his face, slipping inside. Instantaneously, the chill slipped out of his bones. He wasn’t sure whether the heat was cranked all the way up or it was radiating from the hundreds of gyrating bodies.   


  
  
Opting not to step near the dance floor, he instead walked straight past, stepping into the gaming area.   
Almost immediately, the pounding of the music was drowned out by the dozens of arcade games. He took another step forward, eventually nearing one of the consoles. Brushing his glasses up higher on his nose, he couldn’t keep a small grin off his face. The game had a little 8-bit archer, shooting what appeared to be demons?

Alec stuck a hand in his pocket, rummaging a little for a quarter before popping it into the slot and beginning the game. From the corner of his eye he could see someone approaching, slouching his frame and shifting closer to the game.   
“Awh, dude! I love that one!” The guy didn’t seem to get the hint, watching over Alec’s shoulder. He let out a sympathetic moan as a demon sliced Alec’s character with a claw, ridding of one of his lives. “Yanno, there are different characters unlocked when you play multiplayer?” Alec quirked a brow, quickly furrowing it again as he lost yet another life. “Yeah, you’re a shadowhunter right now, some sort of angelic being or whatever. They even have warlocks-“ He started as Alec let out a curse, smacking the controls. His shadow fighter, or whatever the nerd called it lost his last lives, Alec watching on as its body burned to ashes. “Sorry dude,” he was pulled out of his mourning as the other guy continued to talk. Finally turning from the game, Alec spun to face him. He was quite a few inches shorter, chocolate colored hair falling over his wide eyes framed by thick lenses. “I’m Simon, by the way,” more words tumbled out before Alec could even introduce himself. “Do you wanna play ‘Children of the Night?’” He pointed to the game across from them. Even from this distance, Alec could see the small vampire characters tousling about.  
He may have just been a shadowhunter, but that was something he just couldn’t get on board with. 

“No thanks. I-“ he cleared his throat. “I’m good, thanks.” Tossing a half grin and a feeble wave, he turned and left the way he came, barely hearing Simon’s farewell as the music picked up again. Still avoiding the dance floor, this time he headed towards the diner area. Keeping his head down, he plopped into the only empty booth there, surrounded by couples and friend groups alike. Alec flickered his hazel eyes, making contact with a waitress. She stepped over, placing a cola in front of him with a smile before disappearing as fast as she came. He hummed as he took a sip, using the hem of his shirt to wipe off the raindrops still clinging onto his glasses. The frames slipped out of his fingers as the table shook, an intoxicated couple tumbling into the booth next to his before proceeding to make out. He let out another groan, cursing the idea of even coming before slinking down further in his seat. Being taller than the average person, he could still see above the edges of the booth, catching a glimpse of the dance floor occupants. 

One in particular caught his eye. It was a man, dressed immaculately for the club atmosphere. His jacket was embezzled with hundreds of sequins and jewels, chains dangling in between his collarbones and resting against his chest. Alec wondered how he walked with such grace, the leather of his pants serving as a second skin and leaving nothing to imagination-  
Alec flushed as the man neared his table, attempting to blend in with the tacky turquoise of his booth. 

“When will you get it, Dot?” He was saying, adjusting the flyaway strands of his hair. “I’m just here to have a good time!” A woman was closely following him, reaching and failing to latch onto his arm.   
“Magnus, come on. We had fun last week-“  
“Yes! Last week. Honestly, won’t you-“ he made eye contact with Alec, the other man threatening to implode as a smile broke across Magnus’ features.   
“My angel! There you are!” He slid next to him in the booth, resting a manicured hand on his denim clad thigh. Alecs breath hitched, floundering for words. “See, Dorothea? I’m here to spend time with him. He’s dying you know? Only has 6 months to live,” Magnus looked back at him, Alecs eyes couldn’t help but being drawn to the glossiness of his pouty lips-  
“Actual, it’s only 5,” he piped up before taking another sip of his cola, nearly choking on the liquid as the hand on his thigh squeezed.  
“Magnus, seriously. There’s only a little over 2 hours left.”  
“Two hours I will be spending with him. Thank you.“ The woman, Dot, rolled her eyes, realizing Magnus wasn’t having it and turned away, exiting the club. The two men watched her body disappear down the street through the window, craning their necks to see her round the corner. 

“Sorry about her,” Magnus breathed, waving a hand. “Exes, amiright?” Alec hummed in response, unable to bite a frown as Magnus removed the hand from his thigh. “I’m Magnus, by the way.”  
“Alec.”   
“Alex?”  
“No. Al _ec_ ,” He began reaching out for his drink, hoping the cup would hide the flush that seemed permanently burned on his cheeks. It only deepened as his fingers brushed the other man’s, Magnus’ hand resting in front of his cup.   
“Nice to meet you, Alec,” he entwined their fingers momentarily before shifting his grip, shaking Alec’s hand. “I take that’s short for something?”  
“Alexander,” the name came out as a breath.   
“Like the great! That makes two of us, darling,” he flashed a wink. “I owe you for that, by the way,” his eyes twinkled. That, or the glitter of his eyeshadow reflected back. Either way, Alec was hooked- “Care for a dance?” He let out another, noncommittal hum. Taking it as a yes, Magnus’ grin widened, slipping his fingers between Alec’s and tugging the other man out of the booth. 

Alec relished the feeling of Magnus’ fingers entwined in his. The bronzed skin was silky smooth, rubbing gently against his calloused palm. He didn’t notice they reached the dance floor until a dancing body shoved him into Magnus. The other man gripped his biceps, squeezing a little more than necessary.   
“Woah there,” he let out another chuckle, Alec quickly deciding he liked the noise. It was melodic, almost harmonizing with the synthpop song blaring overhead. “You’re new. I haven’t seen you around?”  
“Yeah, I just got here,” Alec shouted back. He assumed his words were lost in the music, Magnus giving a quick nod before focusing back on dancing. A smile still plastered on his face, he entangled their hands once more. He tugged Alec’s arms back and forth, realizing the effort was fruitless as the other’s limbs remained limp noodles. Rather than being deterred, however, Alec’s unwillingness only made Magnus laugh harder. His head tilted back, Alec’s eyes resting a little too long on his bobbing Adam’s Apple before drifting lower. They caught on his hips- his jacket cinching in and accentuating his silhouette. They shook with ease, languidly rocking from side to side along with the beat. Alec didn’t notice him moving closer until their hips bumped, groins slotting together-

And suddenly it was all too much. The music seemed to amplify another thousand times, the beat reverberating through his head and jostling what few thoughts he could manage. His eyes flickered back up, catching the last of the sultry stare slip from Magnus’ pupils, instead replaced with something he couldn’t quite process. Alec assumed he was calling out to him, managing to read the syllables slipping from his lips before he shook his head, spinning on his heels and pushing his way off the dance floor. 

He somehow found his way out of the club, barely shielded from the elements as he huddled next to the side door. He stepped out into the street, closing his eyes as the clouds rained down on him. It had picked up since he first entered, willing the droplets to wash away the feelings of dozens of eyes on his body-

“Hey!” The same side door opened, out stepping Magnus. “What happened, are you okay?”  
“Yeah. I- I just,” he stepped back under the ledge, droplets dropping off his hair. “I’m just not much of a dancer.”  
“I could tell,” he could hear a smile creep into Magnus’ voice. “You were like an angel tiptoeing across Hell’s fires back there,” Alec let out a grunt at the comparison. “Kidding! Except, not really.” He leaned forward a bit, searching for the others eyes. “I’m sorry for pushing you.”  
“It’s fine. It’s just-“ Alec squeezed his eyes shut, propping himself against the dumpster of the side of the building. “People were staring. Yanno. Two guys, dancing. ”  
“Oh, honey. People are a lot more accepting now,” hazel eyes remained trained on a puddle. “And besides, San Junipero is a party town. Anything can happen.” Alec peered up a little, barely catching Magnus’ ridiculous hip swivel. “Besides, if they were staring, it’s because I’m magnificent.”  
He couldn’t keep a laugh from escaping his lips. “You’re stupid.”  
“Thank you.”  
He looked around a bit, taking a breath before speaking again.   
“I’ve never been on a dance floor.”  
“Never?” A choked sound escaped Magnus’ lips. “What are you, some like devout Christian? That’s some deprived lifestyle if I’ve ever heard one.”  
“As far as my family’s concerned, I can’t do anything,” he let out a shrug.  
“See, nobody knows half the shit I even get up to,” he hopped up to sit next to Alec. The other man had the hint of the thought whether he’d regret getting his pants wet. “Well, it’s from a place of love, right?”   
“They don’t worry. Just the concept of me enjoying myself blows their minds.” He kicked the side of the dumpster absentmindedly.   
Alec could feel the others eyes raking up and down his body, leaving a trail of heat in its wake. “We can do whatever we want, whatever you want.” He noticed the quirk in the other man’s brows. “What would you like to do? Something you’ve never done before.”  
“Oh,” Alec key out a sigh, looking up at the clouds as a million possibilities fluttered through his mind. “So many things.”  
“Party town,” Magnus reiterated. “And midnight’s a whole 2 hours away.”  
“That’s not much time.”  
He shivered as the next words came out as barely a whisper. “Then why sit here wasting it?” He inched his fingers back over Alec’s thigh, creeping further and further upwards-  
Alec leapt off, gasping as a wave of vertigo washed over him.   
“Listen, I-“  
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it-“  
“No it’s just-“  
“I know, it’s okay-“ Magnus shrugged, seemingly unbothered.   
“It’s-I’m- I’m engaged. I have a fiancé,” Alec blurted, Magnus sculpted eyebrows shooting up. “She’s called Lydia.”  
“Lydia, hmm? Is she here?”  
“No…?” Alec questioned, taking a step backwards as Magnus took a step forward.   
“Alexander,” he practically purred. “You wanna go to bed with me?” He continued on, even as Alec audibly gasped at the proposal. “We can be at my place like-“ he snapped his fingers.   
“I-just-“ Alec flailed for words. “You’re nice. I can’t.”  
“Okay,” Magnus shrugged again.   
“I can’t, I-“  
“I get it,” Alec floundered as the other man remained good natured, even offering a smile.   
“I have to go.”  
“In this?” The rain poured down even harder, Alec hunching his shoulders as if it could substitute an umbrella.   
“Yeah I-“ he stepped in a circle, rounding to stick out a hand. “It was nice meeting you.”  
Magnus let out a snort, shaking the outstretched hand. “Likewise.”

Fearing any extended time would stretch into something even more awkward, Alec fluttered his fingers, quickly striding down the alley, away from the club, and into the night, the full moon illuminating his path. 

  
**ONE WEEK LATER**  
He really wished Isabelle was here right now.

Damn the fact she uploaded into another time period, he’d never thought he’d actually need his sisters fashion device. 

He tapped his small tape deck, bopping his head as the tune began drifting through his small apartment. Stepping over to the closet, Alec pushed open the doors, already unmotivated with the lack of options. He plucked the frames off his nose, slightly squinting to pick out something to wear. 

He tugged on a tight, black shirt and leather pants. He figured it was something Magnus would wear. It offered up a nice view of his muscles but just-  
A tailored coat jacket and button up. Simple enough? Yet Alec couldn’t get over the fact that he looked like a teenager primped up for Sunday Service-  
Oh fucking hell.   
Why he thought it’d be smart to slick back all his hair and rim his eyes with kohl, he didn’t know and didn’t want to dwell on any further-  
He peered at himself through the dirty mirror in the bathroom. This was-good. He had on one of his better bombers, resting over a snug fitting shirt and comfortable pants. This was fine, he repeated to himself, giving up on trying to tame the lock of hair that always hung too low. Slipping his glasses back on, Alec quirked a smile.   
~

  
Yanking on his door knob, Magnus stepped out into the evening air. He kicked the door closed behind him, tugging his jacket a little closer as a chill washed over from the ocean. Even if he was often exposed to the salty breeze, Magnus preferred his bayside bungalow over the apartment complex the other thousand people resided. Don’t get him wrong, he enjoyed the time spent in his penthouse loft. However, he didn’t know how much longer he’d be here, and would rather spend more moments in comfortable solitude. 

Brushing a finger along the side of his car, he huffed as a stripe of dirt came off on his finger. If there was one thing he hated, it was the sand that constantly stuck to the sides of his Jeep. But at least he had a car, he could never have one back in the city-  
He leapt over the door, landing semi gracefully in the driver's seat. Revving the engine, he turned down the path that served as his driveway and out onto the main highway.  

Turning up the stereo, he nodded his head to the music, gently, as to not disturb his hairdo before arriving at the club. He reached Pandemonium a few minutes later, pulling around the back to park in his unofficial official spot only to slam on the breaks in the middle of the street.  
“Dorothea!” He screamed, sticking his head out the side. “ _Seriously_?”  
The woman was standing smack dab in the middle of the parking spot, arms crossed over her chest. She shifted to the side as cars lined up behind Magnus’, the Jeep barely missing her as it pulled in. 

“Dot, I told you once before, is that not enough?” He thanked his previous self for putting on a pair of sunglasses, the tinted shades hiding his eye makeup as well as the eyeroll he tossed her way. “I’m red lighting you.”  
“Magnus no,”  
“Seriously, Dot. I told you, I don’t want anything else.”  
“Magnus!” She tugged on his hand, effectively stopping him from entering the club and getting lost in the sea of people. “You’re seriously trying to tell me there was nothing else?”  
“Precisely.”  
“Mags,” she whined. “We had a connection.”  
“We had  _fun_.” Magnus huffed in response. He offered a weak smile, reaching out to enclose one of her hands between his larger ones. “How many other guys are in Junipero? Hundreds? Thousands?”  
“They’re not you.”  
“I’m saying you have options.”  
“I don’t want options I want someone lively. All the locals are dead-“  
At that moment, a group of people sped past in a convertible, loud whoops leaving their mouths and trailing in their wake.   
“Pretty lively for some dead people, huh?”  
“Magnus-“ he cut her off again, having had more than enough of her begging.   
“Dot, honestly. It was just sex. You can find loads of other partners at Hotel Dumort.”  
“It was not just sex-“  
“Well whatever you think we had, I don’t want it,” she let out a gasp, stuttering backwards a step. He reached out to steady her, stroking his thumb over the exposed skin on shoulder. “Dorothea, I can’t go down that road again. Of roots, connections, I just...I can’t.” He took a step backwards towards the entrance, one hand still holding hers. “Listen, we had fun, yeah? I’m sorry-enjoy the town for Lilith’s sake!”   
Dot nodded, a flash of resignation in her eyes. She squeezed his hand one more time before letting him go, watching him slip through the doors of Pandemonium.   
~

  
A while later, Magnus sat at the bar in Pandemonium. He had cast a glance over to the booths, a slight wave of disappointment washing over him having not seen a certain dark haired, hazel eyed giant, but he quickly brushed the feeling away, preferring to enjoy his Saturday somehow else. Unfortunately, the club was lacking today. Maybe it was the blaring synthpop, or the smell of burnt hair and hairspray that seemed permanently floating around, but this year was severely dampening his mood. A shot of liquor slid down the wood, just nudging his finger as it stopped shy of his hand. He looked up, catching the eye of the bartender and flashing a wink. She scoffed back, turning to continue wiping glasses clean. He liked Maia, with her curly hair that always seemed perfectly shaped. They would often converse over the smallest things, and she’d accompany him to another decade, so their friendship was good enough. Opening his mouth to shout something snarky, the comment froze in his throat as someone stepped next to him. 

“Hey.”  
Magnus shifted to look at the man. He seemed kind enough, tanned skin that mirrored the shade of his when he stayed out all summer. His dark eyes hinted at something more than just a friendly conversation, his rumpled hair contrasted literally everyone else’s styled do’s.   
“Hello.”  
“Waiting for someone?”  
Another glance towards the diner. Nothing.   
“Not really.”  
The man slid into the stool next to his, waving down Maia.   
“Want a drink?”  
Never the one to turn down alcohol, Magnus agreed. “I’m Imasu, by the way.”  
“Magnus,” he hummed as the woman set down his favorite martini, replacing the shot glass. “Peruvian?”  
“Indeed.” 

Imasu instantly launched into some tale about his homeland, Magnus not caring enough to listen nor tell him to stop talking. Unaware to him, Alec was indeed in Pandemonium that night, not in the diner as expected, but rather, skirting around the edges of the dance floor. He watched as the other man talked to Magnus, leaning closer and closer as the conversation continued. He sucked in a breath, holding it for a moment before releasing it slowly and stepping towards the bar. Nearly halfway across the dance floor, Magnus caught his eye. A mischievous grin caught the edge of his lips as he extended a hand to the other man, barely receiving an answer before tugging him onto the dance floor. 

Alec watched them for a moment before fleeing, fearing the bubbling in his stomach would overflow if he watched much longer. Screw Pandemonium. Screw it’s tacky, fluorescence dance tiles. Screw the equally tacky booths in which he found himself sitting again. Screw the neon sign resting above his head, flashing irregularly and reflecting off his lenses, momentarily blinding him. Screw the waitress that must be accustomed to his lonely pity parties, offering a smile along with a cola bottle. And most importantly, screw Magnus, who was over there on the dance floor, very likely gyrating all over that Spanish popstar  _wannabe_ -

Only when Alec peered over the dancing bodies, their eyes locked. Flustered, Alec looked back down, his tongue wiggling about in search of his straw. That had to be a coincidence, right? He was all up against some other guy, there was absolutely no way Magnus was staring at him. He calmed himself down enough to take another glance upwards, once again meeting a pair of deep brown orbs. He looked down again, slouching in his seat. He could see Magnus in his peripheral vision. His head was tossed back, shimmying in a circle before running his hands down from the other man’s neck to his chest. He said something before strutting off the dance floor. Alec looked up for a third time, Magnus nudging his head before disappearing around the corner.   
It didn’t take longer than a split second for Alec to get up, taking a moment to peel his pants off the leather booth. Thankful for his long legs for once in his life, he crossed the club in only a few strides, slipping around the corner and into the men’s bathroom. 

It was empty. 

He let out a huff of air, rubbing a hand down his face. When he opened his eyes, he stared at his reflection in one of the mirrors.   
Magnus stood behind him. 

“I don’t know how to do this,” he breathed, failing to keep his voice level.   
“Do what?” Magnus cocked his head, looking awfully reminiscent of a confused puppy.   
“Just help me! Can you just-“ he waved a hand in front of his chest as it urging the words out. Magnus took a step closer. “Can you just make this easy for me?” The words slipped out before he could stop them, echoing through the otherwise silent bathroom. A soft hand caressed his cheek, willing his eyes to look at the man they belonged to.   
“You want to get in my car?” Alec nodded, his voice unable to come out after hearing the tenderness in Magnus’  
“Come on then.”

They snuck out the fire escape, Magnus seeming to remember Alec’s earlier embarrassment of being two men together. He hopped down first with a feline grace, offering a hand as Alec followed. He led the other man towards his car, not noticing his hesitance until he started the engine.  
“What, do you need me to lift you in?” Alec stood with a hand on the passenger door, willing himself to just breathe. He opened the door and sat down.   
Barely a moment letter, Magnus revved the car to a start, whipping them onto the highway. It wasn’t that he was a bad driver, per se. Just a tad bit too fast for Alec. As they skid around yet another bend, he couldn’t hold back a wince.   
“Relax!” Magnus called, nearly a scream to be heard over the engine. “What could go wrong?”  
They both knew nothing bad would happen to themselves unless they allowed it. Yet Alec couldn’t help but be nervous. It’s something they teach you growing up, be careful when in and around cars. The one piece of advice he should’ve taken a little more seriously-

“How long have you been here?” He shook himself out of his reverie, shifting in his seat to look at Magnus.   
“In San Junipero?” The corners of his lips tilted downwards. Today, Alec noted, they were glossed a subtle pink shade. “Couple months I think.” He hesitated another moment. “The plan is, long enough to enjoy myself,” the frown shifted into a smile as he turned to look at Alec. “Guess I’m a tourist like you.”  
“Yeah.” Alec had turned to look out the side of the car again, enjoying watching the palm trees whip past them. He prayed the angle hid his face well enough from the other man, knowing his features screamed nothing but distress.   
“Hey.” Silence. “You alright?”  
“Yeah.”  
Magnus extended a hand towards Alec, ripping it away as the other man yelped.   
“Watch out!”  
He then noticed the headlights beaming towards them. He spun the steering wheel, swerving back into their lane as the passing car honked. Unfortunately, they were going a little too fast and rather than staying on the highway, they drove straight off the road and into the dirt bank. 

The car righted itself, lurching them back on all four wheels. A cloud of dust surrounded them, strangling a choke from Alec’s mouth. A loud cackle came from the drivers side, Alec looking just in time to see Magnus slap a hand over his mouth.   
“I’m sorry but,” he sucked in air, choking on the dust and exhaling another laugh. “Man, the look on your face!”  
Alec let out a giggle, nervousness masked as Magnus started up the engine again. 

Thankfully, they reached his bungalow soon enough, Magnus only having to turn down his driveway less than a mile after their little accident. Alec trailed behind him, only given a moment to admire the delicate shrubbery lining the house before stepping inside. Almost immediately his unease slipped away and he felt an immense sense of  _home_.   
At least, what he thought a home felt like.   
“Wow.”  
“You like it?”  
Alec spun on the balls of his feet, trying his best to absorb as much as the interior as possible. Everything fit-from the dozens of art pieces lining the walls, to the golden cat sculptures nestled in little nooks, the entire house screamed Magnus.  
“It’s just so big.”  
He reclined against the back of the sofa, eyeing Alec. “Mm. Reminds me of where I grew up. Back in Indonesia.”

The taller man let out a hum in response, gaze catching on one of the few frames in the house. It sat in front of a smaller one, Alec only able to see the upper half of a woman’s face. She was pretty- long, brown hair, plump lips, but her gaze left him unsettled and he instead focused on the photo in front of it. The focus was a man in his 20’s. His skin was tan, yet had a strange grayish tinge to it, almost sickly. He was frowning at the camera that also caught the hint of a smile on his lips. He was wearing a tailored suit, jacket unbuttoned and tie loosened, contrasting the tacky “BIRTHDAY BOY” sash around his waist. It appeared as if he was standing by the bay, a gust of wind jostling his otherwise neatly parted black hair.   
“With your friend?”

A hand on his elbow turned him away from the frames and towards Magnus. If he were mere inches taller, the breathes escaping his lips would fog up Alec’s glasses-  
And before he knew it, those lips were on his. He couldn’t help but stiffen at the contact. He’s never done this before, and wasn’t entirely sure what exactly to do. Magnus’ lips were soft, and he could feel the gloss transferring onto his and it was…  
Nice.

He obliged as the other man’s tongue flicked his bottom lip, parting them so he could have access. A moan ripped from his chest as Magnus deepened the kiss, a heavy puff of air leaving his nostrils as he bit back a laugh. His hands on Alec’s shoulders applied pressure and the young man followed suit, allowing him to guide him out of the living room and presumably towards his bedroom. They parted for a split second, long enough for Magnus to fumble open the door before their previous activities resumed, Alec closing it behind them. He let Magnus continue pushing him, only faltering as he stumbled backwards onto the bed.

He lifted his head just in time so see Magnus kneel at the end of the mattress, toeing off his shoes before crawling closer. Alec mewled when the man’s fingers reached for his jeans, covering them with his own and effectively stopping their movements.  
“I-I don’t,” he puffed, another sigh escaping his lips at the look in Magnus’ eyes. “You’ll have to show me..”  
He gushed at Alec’s inherent short of breath, stroking his cheek with his free hand.  
“Good.” And he reclaimed his lips.  
~

  
Alec let out a deep exhale, the tension having long eased out of his bones, leaving room for the deep comfort he was feeling. The mattress molded to fit his form, rubbing out the remaining kinks in his muscles. The moon cast a sparkling array on the golden sheets that chilled his sweaty skin, goosebumps rising on his flesh at the change of temperature.

“You never slept with a man before?” He felt Magnus’ question more than hearing it, his chest rising and shifting Alec’s head along with it. “That’s not a critique. I mean that was fucking awesome.”  
Alec choked on a laugh, hiding his smile in the hollows of Magnus’ collarbones. “Never with a man… Never with anyone.”  
The hand in his hair stilled, his shoulder dipping slightly to better look at Alec. “Not anyone? What, in town, or-?”  
“No one nowhere.” He didn’t bother hiding the satisfied grin this time, ever so pleased with himself. “Guess you deflowered me.”  
Magnus let out a bark, fingers running through Alec’s locks again, lightly scraping against his scalp. “I ‘deflowered’ you? What is this, Merrie England?”  
“Oh shut up,” Alec muzzled closer to his chest, a fit of giggles overtaking him. They sat in silence for a moment, the only sounds his slight hums until Magnus spoke up again.  
“You’ve had relationships though?”  
“Uh-uh.”  
“Hello? You got a fiance-”  
“Yeah, it’s-that’s… complicated.”

Feeling him squirming, Magnus chose not to pester any further. “Yeah I’ll say.”  
He moved his free hand currently draped over Alec’s midsection to cover his hand resting on his chest. Their fingers tangoed for a bit before slotting together, resting once more against Magnus’ chest. Alec stared at them.  
“When did you know? That you liked men?”  
“Uhh, I like women too,” he removed the fingers from his hair to wave a fist. “Equal rights!”  
“Okay. But when did you know? Did you always… know?”

Magnus stared at the younger man. So very innocent, he didn’t know what made him trust him so easily.

“I’m not one to open my heart up so easily, but- I was engaged to a girl. A long time we were together.  
I always ‘knew’, I mean, I would be attracted to other guys, co-workers, friends. Some waiters who’d serve me…” he breathed a chuckle. “They were crushes. By Lilith there were crushes.” Noticing a shift in his demeanor, Alec moved his head up to the pillow, allowing him to watch his face. “Never acted on any of it. Never did anything. I was in love with her. I really was in love with her. But she chose not to stick around, in more ways than one.” Alec slid closer, the sheets allowing a smooth glide. He switched the roles, now the one brushing fingers through Magnus’ hair, who hummed at the contact. “So now it’s me. And I’m passing through. And before I leave I’ll have a good time.” He sniffed. “I’m just gonna have a good time.”  
Alec draped his upper half over his, trailing kisses from his jaw up to his lips. Magnus pressed their foreheads together, catching a glimpse of the clock on the bedside table. “11:59. Time’s nearly up.”  
“Then let’s lie here.”  
And they did, without speaking.

  
**ONE WEEK LATER**  
Alec felt good.  
Great, really.  
Maybe even grand.  
He noticed a smile creeping up on his lips. He’s been wanting to do it more in the past week, smiling that is, than he honestly has his entire life.  
Who could blame him though.

He ducked into Pandemonium, the loudness engulfing him in the first step. At this point, he began to almost like the ear shattering music. It brought back memories, and a warm recollection of his time meeting Magnus-  
Speaking of the man, he headed towards the bar, trailing along all the stools without seeing him. He shrugged, opting to make his rounds through the club. He explored the arcade section next, coming up with no sign of Magnus, nor Simon.  
That was surprising.

He walked through the dance floor and over to the diner area. Nope and nope.   
Finally he sat back at the bar, sipping on a cola in order to distract his rising nerves. Hazel eyes remained trained on the entrance, watching dozens of people trickle in, yet no Magnus. Whitney Houston began blaring through the speakers, and he felt an odd numbness knowing Magnus would definitely be pulling someone onto the dance floor at this point.

“You seen Magnus?” The bartender, Maia he remembered, neared his corner of the bar, raising his voice so she could hear him.  
“What’s that?”  
“Magnus.”  
“Haven’t seen him all night,” she continued wiping the glass, a shrug rolling off her shoulders, causing the studs of her jacket to reflect. “You try Hotel Dumort?”  
“What is Hotel Dumort?”

He should’ve known from the look she flashed him.

15 minutes later, he found himself on the corner of some shady street, practically in the middle of nowhere. He glanced at the napkin rumpled in his palm, the ink of Maia’s scribbled map rubbing off onto his skin. In front of him stood a gate, a dirt track behind it. Beside it, a small pole with a sort of entry buzzer stuck on it. ‘HOTEL DUMORT’ was etched where the residential name would be. He pressed the button.

An instant later, a wheezy voice rasped through the intercom, words broken off from the interference. “Uh- huh?”  
“Hi- I’m looking for someone…”  
The voice scoffed. “Good luck with that.” Click.  
Taken aback, he shuffled on his feet before pressing the button again. He could’ve sworn he heard a sigh before the voice spoke again.   
“You want in?”  
“...Yeah.”  
“You sure?”  
“Uhm, yeah- I-”

There’s a buzz, the gate clicks unlocked. He opened it and stepped through, beginning down the track towards the looming silhouette of Dumort.  
He was certain he reached the place. For one thing, it had a big, neon sign that said ‘HOTEL DUMORT’. 

The Hotel Dumort looked and sounded hardcore, a river way too deep for Alec to even debate crossing. Ivy clung to the brick walls, climbing up all the way to the top of the building which disappeared into the night sky. Harley Davidsons lined the outside, and he could hear metal blaring from within. Two women were making out in the back of a pickup truck parked outside. They winked as his gaze washed over them.  
What the fuck?

Seeing no other option at this point, Alec stepped into the building, and very nearly exited immediately if not for the people entering behind him. The interior of the club looked like it came straight out of transgressive music video. The walls were clad in- leather?, and chains hung like bunting. People were dancing in cages.   
With snakes.   
It was steamy and freaky in there, Alec could feel his skin crawling. And that was before he inspected the occupants.  
A man with a shaved head danced in Alec’s path. He was wrapped in silver chains, pale skin naked minus the obscenely skimpy jockstrap arranged around his junk. He kept an oddly serious face, as if he thought he was Adonis reincarnated, following Alec as he tried to sidestep him, but letting him pass as he shifted again. Alec looked around, still in search of Magnus. With every passing moment he grew more and more uncomfortable. This place was part pick up joint, part exhibitionist fantasy-fulfilling. People were making out in corners, swapping partners every few minutes. Everyone flaunting their sexuality in anyway possible.  
What the fuck?

A couple stepped closer, effectively blocking his way. They were both dressed like sailors, the woman holding a spare captain’s hat.  
“Hey,” the guy spoke first.  
“Wanna have fun?”  
“I’m okay, thanks.” He walked away, finding himself meandering deeper and deeper into the Hotel. As he progressed, the air became more dense. It was all so claustrophobic- stuffy corridors clouded with smoke of whatever these people were smoking. Stopping to catch his breath, he also caught a glimpse of what appeared to be at least 6 people engaging in some sort of-

Spinning back to the entrance, he nearly collided with Dot.   
“Woah, hey.”  
“Sorry.” The two look at each other, the woman finally processing who it is.   
“I know you from somewhere… Pandemonium… Magnus’ friend.”  
Alec nodded. “You know where to find him?”  
“How would I know that? She snorted, beginning to walk away.  
“You’re his friend.”  
“Was a friend”  
“Has he been here?”  
“No,” she looked at him differently, a weird look taking over her features. “You too, huh?”  
Alec finally took a good look at her. The woman had deteriorated since the last time he saw her, her facial structure seeming a thousand times more prominent, most likely attributed to the glass of alcohol in her hands, currently raised in some sort of toast. Realizing he was wasting his time, Alec moved to leave, stopping as Dot spoke up again.   
“Try a different time. Seen him in the 90’s and in ‘02. He’s worth a shot, right?”  
Alec left the building.

  
**ONE WEEK LATER - 1980**  
Back on the same street, Alec headed purposefully towards Pandemonium. The sun had only begun to set, the orange illumination highlighting his outfit, looking only slightly different than before. Funkytown by Lips Inc sounded as he entered the club, noticing a few regulars.  
But no Magnus.

He spotted Simon just finishing up a game of Pac-Man, looking rather cleaned up, styled like a young Bill Gates. He noticed Alec too, waving him closer.  
“Hey man!”  
“Oh, hey.”  
He pointed at the game. “Golden age, right?”  
“Right.”  
“You playing, or…?” He had since returned to looking about the club, only halfway in conversation.  
“Sorry, looking for someone.”  
“I get that,” he nodded, jostling his already messy hair. “Maybe next time?”

  
**ONE WEEK LATER - 1996**  
A Ford slides by as Alec walked down the same street. The billboard overhead was being swapped out in front of him, Will Smith plastered up, advertising Independence Day. He faintly heard someone talking about the Atlanta Olympics, messing with the cuff of his geometric jacket as he neared the entrance of Pandemonium. The sign now hosted neon paint splatters.  
He walked into the club, remaining near the entrance as he didn’t expect to spend too much time here.

Killing Me Softly by the Fugees played through the stereo system, Alec’s sigh fitting in with the mellow backtrack as he found no sign of Magnus. He wasted not a moment longer, exiting the establishment and making his way towards the man’s bungalow. 

He didn’t realize how stalkerish the idea was until he stood on Magnus’ doorstep, but it was too late by then. Even so, the lights were shut off, blinds shut, door locked. He called the man’s name once, stepping backwards in order to look at the whole house.

“Magnus!” He yelled again, the only answer coming from his echo.

  
**ONE WEEK LATER - 2002**  
This time, there was a billboard for Bourne Identity, and someone singing a Destiny’s Child song as Alec entered Pandemonium yet again.  
Nelly was blaring through the speakers, Alec unable to see the body he was looking for in the sea of people gyrating on the dance floor. He began walking back out, past the arcade section, when a certain set of shoulders caught his eye.

There was a duo on a Dance Dance Revolution machine, jumping onto their pads to match the respective arrows filtering across the screen. Their laughs float through the air, drawing Alec closer to confirm his suspicions. Simon was on one half, his geeky looking suddenly seeming chic in the surrounding atmosphere. Magnus was next to him, faring off far better than the other man, but both seeming pleased with their final score as the Japanese pop song comes to a close. They high fived, letting out a whoop as Simon moved to pick the next song. It was then Magnus turned, catching Alec’s less than impressed stare.

“Be right back,” he patted Simon’s shoulder, the man proceeding in single player. He headed off towards the men’s room, Alec in hot pursuit, his longer legs giving him an advantage in not allowing him to slip away out a side door.  
“No, you wait a minute,” he caught the lead, effectively blocking off Magnus’ exit.  
“Why are you here?” He ignored the ache in his chest at Magnus’ irritation, instead focusing on the neglect that’s been bubbling for weeks.   
“I was looking for you. Where did you go?”  
“Felt like a change of music.” He pulled a Nokia from his pocket, fiddling with the keypad as Alec huffed.  
“You hid from me.”  
Magnus rolled his eyes. They were now accentuated by smokey eyeshadow and a thick layer of mascara. “1) I did not, 2) I owe you zero and 3) see point 2.” He stormed into the bathroom, Alec at his heels.  
“It’s not about who owes who, it’s about manners-”  
“Hah!”  
“You don’t know who I am. You don’t know what this means.”

Magnus gestured around them. “This means  _fun_. Or it should to you.” He waved between the two of them. “And this. This is not fun. Okay. This is not fun.”  
Alec snapped his mouth shut, unable to keep the tears from welling up. They blurred his sight, hiding Magnus’ concerned look. “Okay look, no, don’t-”  
“So you don’t feel bad?” For once, Magnus was speechless. “Maybe you should feel bad. Or at least feel something.” He didn’t watch as Alec left the bathroom, the door swinging shut behind him. Instead, he sighed, staring at his reflection in the mirror. Suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt, he smashed a fist against the mirror, shards of glass shattering onto the floor. He flexed his knuckles. No cuts, no blood.  
~  
The fire door is flung open as Alec stomped out, pacing uncertaintly in a circle before spotting the fire escape. Moments later, Magnus emerged from Pandemonium, peering left and right for the dark haired man. The only thing he noticed is a couple, reclining on the hood of a car, looking up at something he honestly couldn’t care for. “Hey! You seen a guy, early-twenties, dark hair, glasses, super tall?” The girl just pointed upwards.

Magnus eyes traced her finger, spinning to where she indicated. There, on the roof of Pandemonium stood Alec, way too close to the edge for Magnus’ comfort. He headed for the fire escape without another word, clambering off the top edge. By now, Alec was sitting on the edge, his feet dangling over the side, scuffing the building.   
“Please tell me you got your pain slider set to zero.”  
Alec continued staring over the city. “Think so.”  
Magnus plopped down next to him, mouth gaping as he searched for the right words. “Listen-”  
Alec cuts him off, pointing to the people lining the sidewalk below. From this view, they looked like ants. “How many of them are dead? Like percentage?”  
“As in full timers?” slightly taken aback, he rolled his shoulders. “Eighty, eighty-five.” He accepted Alec’s nod before speaking again. “I’m sorry.”  
“I wasn’t gonna jump.”  
“I know, I’m sorry whatever. It’s- in the time I’ve been here-” he rubbed hand over his face, unsure how to continue. He’s not the one to be lost for words, and cursed the effect Alec had on him. “I’m just visiting, you know? And it’s- I don’t want to… I said I wouldn’t… I don’t know… don’t ‘do’ feelings. You freaked me out.” He took Alec’s hand, encouraged when he didn’t immediately pull it away. “I don’t want to ‘like’ anyone. So you’ve been.. Just totally fucking inconvenient.” His fingers twitched, Magnus squeezing them harder. “In that, I mean-” this loss of words things really wasn’t helping. “I don’t know how long there is, and I can’t- I- I wasn’t prepared for this, for you, for wanting something so-”  
He thanked Alec’s newfound confidence for saving him from his inability to form sentences, rather preferring to kiss.

  
~  
They left the bed in complete disarray, half the pillows spilled around the room. Their clothes were scattered throughout the room, the two seeming to forget the mess they made as they sat on the balcony extending off of Magnus’ bedroom. Said man was half laying on the outdoor chaise, his upper body covered by Alec’s white button up. The tightness of the arms was made up in the extra fabric of the bottom, covering the top of his thighs. Alec was nestled in between his legs, the sheet covering his naked body effectively warming the other man’s bare bottom half. They watched the city of San Junipero in the distance, close enough to see all the lights, yet far enough for them to be nothing but dots.

“Can’t believe I’m getting married next week.”  
“Next week? To ‘nice’ Lydia- Sure you’re going through with that?”  
“I have to.”  
“You have to?”  
Alec thinks for a moment. “She really is a good girl. I mean, my family doesn’t approve but they can’t stop us. I know she pities me, that pisses me off, and that’s not fair…”  
Magnus pressed a kiss to his cheek, slightly rocking them from side to side in order to still the man quickly growing flustered. “Shhh…”

He sits in silence for a beat. “You said you didn’t know how long there is. Back on the roof. ‘I don’t know how long there is’. What was that?” Magnus tensed for a moment, exhaling before settling again.  
“They tell me three months. It’s spread basically everywhere. They’ve said three months before, six months ago, so y’know, what do they know?”  
Alec tossed the sheet off to expose a hand, stroking Magnus’ hands wrapped around his chest. “So- you’re gonna stay here? Pass over, go full time?”   
Magnus shook his head. “No. When I’m done, I’m done.”  
Alec’s fingers stilled, his whole world being jolted for a moment. “But that’s- I mean why-?”  
“Camille- that’s- my fiance’s name was Camille- she died just a few years ago. So she had the opportunity to stay in San Junipero, pass over. Didn’t take it. Didn’t want to take it.”  
“Why wouldn’t anyone take it?”  
“She had her reasons, had her reasons for everything. Wouldn’t even visit, take the trial run.”  
“Shit, I wasn’t sure I wanted to try it out, but- like without this place I’d never had met someone like you-”  
“Yeah you could’ve-”  
“I wouldn’t-”  
“We could’ve met outside all this-”  
“You would not have got me at all. At all,” Alec breathed out a snort, shaking a head at his own thoughts. “If you really met me, I mean, if you REALLY met me, you wouldn’t like me-”  
“Try me.”  
“-or you wouldn’t- you wouldn’t spend time with me- you’d-”  
“Try me.”

Alec whipped his head back, the conviction in Magnus voice causing his eyebrows to skyrocket.  
“There’s no point,” he brushed off Magnus’s advances, preferring to convince himself nothing would happen rather than get his hopes up. “Where are you? Indonesia?”  
“Brooklyn, New York.” Alec’s mouth snapped shut, Magnus jostling him a little in his arms. “Come on. I ‘showed you mine’. Where are you? I can just look it up-”  
“Manhattan, New York.”  
“That’s no distance-”  
“It’s what, 20 minutes?”  
“I like to travel, when they let me. But this, this is a walk through Central Park-!”  
“I don’t want you to,” Alec suddenly moved, Magnus’ arms falling from his chest. “I don’t want you to see me. I mean I’m scared-”  
Magnus brushed a thumb over his cheek, wiping away the tear that leaked out.   
“And I’m dying. I am dying. Whatever you are can’t scare me. Let me come visit. I just wanna say hi.” Alec stared at him a minute longer before slouching back to his previous position. Once settled back against Magnus’ chest, he nodded.  
Back in his bedroom, the clock clicked to midnight.

  
**EDOM TRUST ASSISTED LIVING - BROOKLYN, NEW YORK**  
An elderly Asian man sat by one of the many windows on the first floor of the building. He enjoyed the view, the constant bustle of the city always managing to quell his nerves and put his fears into perspective.   
“Magnus. It’s time to go.” He didn’t have to turn his head to know it was Catarina. In a moment, her hand found his elbow, helping him up and out of the building, into the awaiting car outside. They still weirded him out, all seeming far too small and too sleek to safely transport passengers.   
That and the complete lack of a driver. 

The young nurse helped buckle him into his seat, rounding the car to sit next to him. A noise sounded as she secured her belt, the vehicle lurching to a start. With one last look, Catarina pulled out a translucent tablet. Magnus assumed she was reading some doctoral study, but didn’t waste a breath asking, instead peering out the window, watching the city fly past.   
In what felt like only a few seconds, the car came to a stop in front of a hospital. Catarina helped him step out,, moving towards the entrance where a young doctor awaited them.   
“You must be Magnus.”  
“I guess I must.”  
“Welcome to Idris Hospital. He’s waiting for you.”  
~  
The doctor lead Magnus to a private room, located off in the ‘Deflect’ wing. The organization of the hospital weirded him out a little, but it was nice and he was sure they treated their patients well enough. She unlocked the door, holding it wide enough for Magnus to wobble in Inside, the general hum of the hospital was absorbed into the walls, the only noises coming from the rhythmic beeps of a monitoring device and percussive rise and fall of a ventilator.   
“He won’t be able to physically respond to you in anyway but he can hear you.” Realizing Magnus would not answer, she spoke softly, pulling the door shut. “I’ll give you some privacy.” He stepped towards the bed in the center of the room, looking down once he was close enough. 

There, lying in the bed was an exceptionally frail man. He appeared to be in his late 60’s, if the wrinkles and gray hair were anything to go by. A brace wrapped around his neck, mouth stuck in a slightly parted position, yet his eyes followed Magnus.  
Those hazel eyes. 

A chair was positioned by the bed, Magnus inching down into it and reaching for a hand.   
“Hey stupid.” Magnus pressed his lips to the leathery skin of the other man’s forehead, breathing him in. He squeezed his fingers. “It’s good to see you.” He reached his other hand up, running the fingers along Alec’s scalp in the way that made him purr. If anything, his eyes softened a fraction, the frightened look disappearing into thin air.   
~  
Too soon Catarina had come in and told him it was time to go. He kissed Alec once more before accepting her hand, allowing her to guide him back down the corridor. They were nearly at the elevators when another hospital worker came gliding up. Her blonde hair was slicked back into a neat braid, eyebrows furrowed as she approached the two. 

“Hi. Is it-Magnus?”  
“It is.”  
She stuck out a hand for him to shake. It held the same tenderness as Catarina’s, the only noticeable difference in her far paler tone.   
“I’m Lydia.” His hand stopped moving, offering a blank stare.   
“You’re Lydia? Well holy shit.”  
“You know, I think it’s great you came in person before he passes over; I mean, even his parents don’t come visit anymore-“  
Magnus hands fell limp between hers.   
“He’s passing over?” There’s a moment filled with nothing but silence. Magnus long lost in thought, the girls shared a glance. Lydia looked somewhat hopeless, Catarina offering an equally confused shrug. “When?”  
She gestured towards the Cafeteria she came out of earlier. “How about we grab a coffee?”

He allowed her to grip his arm, leading him to a small table inside the canteen before disappearing to the buffet. Cat promised to remain nearby, sitting across the room to give the two some privacy, but close enough in case he needed anything. He liked Catarina a lot, the woman was patient and knew how to take his sass with a grain of salt, even tossing some back. He especially liked when she brought her little daughter Madzie to come visit. He was always fond of children. 

Lydia returned soon enough, toting trays with a multitude of food. He told her he wasn’t very hungry, not expecting her to bring back damn near the whole refrigerator to find something to satisfy him. He wrapped his fingers around the disposable coffee cup, willing the heat of the beverage to warm up his bones.   
“He didn’t tell you.” Lydia spoke first, effectively breaking the seal.   
“No, no he did not. Said he was just visiting.”  
“More like sampling the trial portion.”  
Magnus stared down into his cup, watching the white of the cheap creamer separate from the coffee and float at the top. 

“I mean, I’ve only known him for the past three years. We talk on the combox. He told you how he became quadriplegic? And how long he’s been that way?”  
Magnus’ face screamed no, eyes remaining trained on the cup.   
“So one night, he’s 23- comes out to his parents. They’re a little… ‘uptight’ about it you might say. Tell him they don’t want a gay son to tarnish the family name or whatever. It’s not natural, and so forth. They fight, he gets in his car, runs it off the road. Bam.”  
“When he was 23?”  
“Close to 50 years ago. It’s been his whole life basically. So the whole San Junipero system’s been a big deal for him. The biggest deal.” She took a bite from her salad. “The hospital didn’t have a subscription. Some of us held a crowd-sourcing campaign. An anonymous donor paid enough for everyone here to have access- we think it was his sister using the family’s timeless wealth. Anyway it’s only until he passes over, becomes a full time user. But until then, he still has his five hour weekly limit- I guess you’re the same.”

Magnus nodded. “They ration it out. They don’t trust us with more.”  
“I mean, they say you go crazy if you have too much. Never leave your seat, disassociate your body from your mind…” Magnus cracks at a smile at her lowered voice, eyes wide as if keying him in to a wild conspiracy theory.   
“Like that doesn’t happen in every senior home already,” he snorted. “System’s there for therapeutic reasons, officially at my place. ‘Immersive Nostalgia Therapy’. ‘Plunge you into a world of memories’. Helps with Alzheimer’s. That’s what they say.”  
Lydia stopped chewing, jaw ever so slacked as she stared at him. “That’s not my problem, incidentally.”  
She smile, waving her cup in the air. “Little mercies.”  
She continued her meal,  Magnus realizing she was probably taking her only lunch break at the moment. Feeling somewhat guilty, he urged out the words caught in his chest. 

“So, this marriage…”  
She finished her coffee, tossing the cup into the nearby trash can. “State’s got a triple lock on euthanasia cases. You have to get them signed off by the doctor, the patient, and the family. Prevents people from passing over just because they prefer San Junipero.”  
Magnus sardonically trails his eyes around, taking in the cafeteria. Everything from the beige seats with odd stains to the overwhelming aroma of cat food. “Who’d want to leave all of this?”  
Lydia chuckles, showing off a perfect pair of teeth. “You’re right. Anyway, Alec’s family? Big time religious. They don’t bother to fucking see him- pardon my language- but they’re still religious freaks. Won’t sign the papers.”  
“But a spouse can override that. Hence the wedding bells.”  
“You got it. We have a pastor coming in the morning. He’s scheduled to pass tomorrow afternoon.”  
“‘Scheduled to pass’. Let’s just call it dying.”  
“If you can call it that.”  
“Uploaded to the cloud. Sounds like heaven.”  
“I guess.”  
“You gonna wear a dress?”  
Lydia laughed again, shaking a few hairs loose at his antics. “Ceremony’s during my coffee break. My husband passed, so I figured why not?”  
Magnus watched her eat for a moment. “You’re a good woman.”  
“It’s the least I could do, right?” She shrugged, looking up in time to see something flash in the man’s eyes. She never saw that look, working with the elderly all day. It made her worried, but even more so curious.

“Hey. You think you could hook us up to the system, now, just for a little while. Before he passes?”  
“You can still see him afterwards. I mean, then he’s ‘no-limits’, a full fledged citizen of San Junipero-“  
“I know but… can you?”  
Lydia sighed, quickly falling back into work mode and flatly reciting a line from the handbook. “We’re meant to stick strictly to the five-hour cutoff.  Once a week-“  
“But you can bend that. They let us have more on birthdays and Thanksgiving. Special occasions.”  
“Seriously, it’s so tight-“  
“Night before his wedding. That’s a special occasion.”  
She could feel her resolve breaking. Having been with him for only a few moments, she could already see how much he cared for the other man. The one bedridden for nearly 50 years and had his only recent spike in heartbeat when the visitor arrived-  
“I only want a moment.”  
She sighed again, breathing away the crumbles of the wall Magnus broke down.   
“You brought your… connector?”  
He grinned, Lydia finally understanding the look. Mischievous.   
“I call it a bipper.”  
~  
Minutes later, they were back in Alec’s private room. Catarina had positioned herself by the door, warding off any potential intruders walking in on their illegal doings. Magnus’ chair had been repositioned by the window, as to keep their nodule wavelengths from interfering with each other. A box about the size of a paperback book rested in his lap. Sliding off the lid, he plucked a cord out of it. It was maybe 5 inches long, looking like a weird hybrid of headphones and a stethoscope. Placing one end on his temple, he watched as Lydia did the same to Alec, pressing a button before turning to Magnus.  
“You have 5 minutes.”  
“Thank you.”  
He tapped a button on his handheld controller, the blue light of his node beginning to glimmer as he closed his eyes.

  
**1987**  
Back at his bungalow, Magnus pulled the front door open, revealing a very confused Alec.

“Alexander. Over here, hurry!”  
He looked over at him, blinking rapidly. “Haven’t been here during daylight hours before. It’s warm.”  
Magnus stepped out of the house, gripping his hand once he was close enough. They walked along the sand, toes buried in the toasty crystals.  
“So I spoke to Lydia.”  
“Uh-huh.”  
“You’re passing over tomorrow.”  
“Couple hours after the wedding,” he gazed off towards the ocean. “So I guess technically I’m honeymooning here. Forever. I’m sorry I didn’t tell-”  
The remainder of his sentence cut short as Magnus pressed a finger to his lips.  
“Let me say something crazy.”  
“Okay,” he couldn’t keep a smile from forming, faltering as Magnus stooped to one knee. Right there.  
“Wanna marry me instead?” Seeing his eyes glaze over, he quickly spoke again. “Just- Lydia seems great, but- why not marry someone you’ve… connected with…?” He didn’t bother explaining any further. Alec had dropped in front of him, pulling him in for a kiss that was more teeth than anything.   
“That a yes?”

  
**IDRIS HOSPITAL  
** The pastor had arrived no more than 5 minutes ago, yet the ceremony was nearly done. Cat and Lydia had went out of their way. Gold streamers hung around Alec’s room, balloons of the same color tied around the bedposts. The color matched the trim of the blanket tucked snuggly under him, one hand resting on top, the other one being held. Magnus had a matching necklace on, wearing a jacket of deep navy velvet. He didn’t dress up as often anymore, not having the energy to do so. He figured today required a little more effort.  
“... to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer…”  
~   
They’d been married for a few hours before a tablet was placed in front of Magnus. He removed his eyes from Alec’s face trailing them over the translucent device before remembering what he had to do. It was harder than expected, tapping the box next to ‘SPOUSE: MAGNUS LIGHTWOOD-BANE”. He didn’t really think about the part in between- after they wedded but before Alec became a permanent resident. It was awfully surreal. 

Having spousal consent, a doctor stepped forward. He checked to make sure the blue LED flashed on Alec’s node before attaching another tube to his arm, grabbing the syringe placed on the bedside table. He glanced over at Magnus who was stroking the man’s hair. For once he noticed a few streaks still retaining their dark brown color. He leaned forward, kissing his temple. For a moment he pressed his nose into Alec’s hairline before drawing back, making eye contact with the doctor and nodding.

A second later, the plunger of the syringe was pushed down. A milky, opaque fluid traveled through the the snaking pipe, disappearing into Alec’s arm. His eyes fluttered shut as the winking LED seemed to flash in overdrive, Magnus squeezing his other hand.  
All too soon, it all seemed to come to a halt. The beeps turned to a low hum, the screen monitoring his vitals all ticking to 0.  
Lydia stepped forward, a tear streaking her cheek as she drew a sheet over Alec’s face.

  
**ALEC**  
He woke up on a beach.  
Lying on his back, he didn’t move for quite some time. It all seems so… ethereal. He doesn’t know how much time has past until he stood up, stepping closer to the edge of the sand. It’s pearlescent under his feet, and he scrunches his toes in the grains, watching the tiny digits disappear beneath before wiggling the millions of specks off again. He walks for a bit, unsure of how far or long before slowing to a stop. The sun beats down and reflects off the water of the cove. It’s calm until he skims a rock over the surface, enjoying the droplets of water that splash up in his face, the breeze drying them. His alabaster skin bakes under the rays and he plops back down, stretching out his limbs. He plucks the frames off his eyes, rubbing the lenses between the cotton of his shirt when he realizes.   
Everything is so clear.   
Tossing them aside, Alec lays down again on his back, watching the clouds drift overhead. 

  
**EDOM TRUST ASSISTED LIVING**  
Catarina helped Magnus out of the car and back into his room. Thankfully, it was Saturday, meaning he could see his Alexander.   
He wasn’t feeling too hot as of late, coughs racking his body more often than not. He gripped the sides of his armchair, another wave of coughs ripping from his chest. Cat helped attach his node, finger hovering over the start button as he hacked again.   
“You sure you’re okay?”  
He nodded and the LED flashed. 

  
**1987**  
Alec stood by the edge of the beach where tar met sand. He scraped his already scuffed shoes, rocking back and forth as he waited. A familiar Jeep whipped around the corner, screeching to a halt in front of him. There was a fat bow attached to the front bumper, and what sounded like cans trailing behind. Magnus stood up in the seat, giving Alec a view of his outfit.   
It was similar to what he wore on their wedding day. A slim fitting navy suit, sculpted to all of his curves, the lapels a lighter, sparkling shade.. Gold stitches lined the edges of the jacket, matching his button up and the chains dangling from his hips. A sleek black tie completed the look, matching the tinted sunglasses covering his eyes. Alec laughed, clapping in awe.

“Hey!  You didn’t dress up to see me? Come on…”  
Alec blinked, his outfit changing accordingly. He was too, wearing a tuxedo. The black shirt contrasted his alabaster skin, soft golden jacket matching his bow tie. “Better?”  
Smiling, Magnus unlocked the doors. Alec climbed in, suspicions confirmed as they drove off, the metal cans banging along the asphalt.   
~  
The jeep was now parked on the edge of a hill, looking down over San Junipero. They had driven around for hours, getting into all sorts of antics until the sun began to set. They reclined next to each other on the hood, crickets providing the soundtrack.

“Looks so real,” Alec stared up at the moon, rapping on the hood of the car with his knuckles. “Feels so real.” He abruptly turned, smacking a kiss against Magnus’ lips before leaping off the hood, toeing off his shoes as he danced some sort of jig. A chuckled bubbled up in Magnus’ chest, blossoming to full blown laughter.  
“Darling, what are you doing?”  
“I love it! I just-” He spun in a circle, arms out before flipping into a not so graceful cartwheel and landing on his butt. “I love it.”  
“You’ve been here before,” Magnus said, mirroring the man’s whisper.  
“Yeah, but now I live here,” he craned his neck, wind whipping his hair in a halo around his head. “Be with me.”  
“I’m with you now.”  
“That’s not what I mean.” Magnus visibly tensed. Alec stood, brushing off his pants as he stepped closer. “Pass over. When you’re ready, when it’s your time. Pass over.”  
“Alexander-”  
“Stay here, with me-”  
“Can’t we just enjoy tonight-?”

He peeked into the car, reading the glowing red digits on the stereo. “It’s ten to midnight. You’re outta here in ten and then we gotta wait a week to meet again.”  
“You know I’m just a visitor-”  
“For how long? Couple months? Then what?”  
“We are not discussing this-”  
“Then you’ll be gone, just gone. You could have forever, we could have forever!”  
“Forever,” Magnus scoffed. “Who can even make sense of ‘forever’-”  
“However long you want then, you can remove yourself like that-” he snapped his fingers before reaching his arms out again. “It’s not a trap, it’s- look at it.” His knuckles rapped the hood for a second time. “Touch it.”   
By now Magnus was off the hood, rounding the side of the car and heading for the driver’s door. “I’m leaving.”  
Alec caught his arm, tugging it to spin him around. He covered his slender hands with his, pulling them up to place on his cheeks. “It’s real, Magnus. This is real.” He let go to raise his left hand. “And this.” Magnus could see his smile peeking through his fingers, a single band on his ring finger. “Uh huh?”  
“Oh c’mon, you know that’s just a gesture.”  
Alec flinched as if being hit. “ _You_ were the one that proposed to  _me_.”  
“To help you to pass over, as a… kindness-”  
“Not so kind for you to leave then.” Magnus turned on his heels. “Look, I’m sorry but- I’ve got this chance, we got this chance- I want to share it with you.” The car door is open.  
“I said I made my choice.”  
“What is it? What, you feel bad ‘cause your fiance isn’t here?”  
“Don’t.”  
“Well that was her choice. She chose to turn this down-”  
“Please-”  
“It’s like she left you. I mean she could’ve passed over here but, no- she left you.”  
Magnus was fuming now, gripping the door in an attempt to control it. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”  
“You should be mad at her, not whipping yourself with guilt-” he reached again for Magnus’ hand, the man shaking off his grip. “You can’t see it- what she did, it was selfish, actually-”

A smack rung out over the cliff. Alec stumbled backward, a hand pressed against his reddened cheek, jaw slacked in shock. They’re both silent for a moment, staring at each other before the dam breaks.  
“Forty nine years. I was with her for  _forty nine years_. You can’t even begin to imagine- you can’t know-” he sucked in a breath but rather than calm him down, it only fueled his rage. “The bond. The commitment. The boredom. The yearning. The laughter. The love of it, the fucking love I gave for years only to learn it all meant nothing to her. I sacrificed  _everything_ for her. Did it even occur to you to ask?” He continued before Alec could speak. “We- I adopted a son, Raphael. Always difficult, always stubborn. Got sick and died at 20 years old, bless his heart. I suffered and she barely batted an eye- too many years wasted to just call it quits then. You think you’re the only person who’s ever suffered, go fuck yourself.”  
“I didn’t know-”

“Didn’t think to. Ever realize she’s not my wife? She made sure we never married, never had our ‘love’ documented. When she died she made sure to go out the normal way as to not take the chance of spending eternity here. With me, in this fucking graveyard you’re so in love with. And Raphael? My precious boy, didn’t even have the option. Ripped away before he even graduated college. If he missed out, how can I- how can I stay here?” He wiped a tear away, not even bothered it smudged the mascara down his face. “And I wish I could believe he’s somewhere good. And he’s happy and doesn’t feel the pain like he used to, but I don’t. I believe they’re nowhere. Like you said, gone. Just gone.” Alec moved to embrace him, Magnus pushing a firm hand against his chest, keeping him away.  
“No. I pitied you and that’s the truth. I pitied you, and somehow ended up falling in love all over again. And now you give me some goddamn sales pitch about how fuckin’ peachy ‘forever’ would be.”  
“I’m sorry-”

“You want to spend forever somewhere like nothing matters? End up like Dot; all those… lost fucks at the Hotel Dumort, trying anything just to feel something? Go ahead, but I’m out. I’m gone.” He pushed Alec to the side, hopping into the car and turning it on.  
“Magnus, I’m sorry-”

The engine drowned out his voice, but it was all too late. Magnus backed up the car and roared away, leaving nothing but a cloud of smoke in his wake.   
Magnus whipped down the highway, too flustered to wipe away the tears streaming from his eyes. The cans banged against the bumper, threatening to fly off as he sped at full throttle. The radio read 11:58- only two minutes left. It wasn’t enough time, yet there was too much. He hadn’t felt this way in a long, long time. He told himself not to fall again, knowing his heart wouldn’t be able to take anymore pain. But of course, the hazel eyed beauty squeezed right between the cracks in his walls, nestling close to his heart. Magnus let out a roar, cursing Alexander Lightwood-

He swerved around the corner, narrowly avoiding an oncoming set of headlights. The other car honked, the noise spurring him to push harder on the accelerator. He saw a set of yellow signs up ahead, blocking off a section of the road that dropped straight down to sea level. He leaned forward on the steering wheel, eyes narrowing in concentration. 11:59, almost there-

The jeep collided with the concrete slabs, coming to a dead stop. Fragments of glass sprayed around Magnus as he flew through the windshield. The momentum had him tumbling across the asphalt, limbs splaying like a rag doll. He skid to a stop in the middle of the road, glass pooling around his broken heap. He laid still as the moments ticked on, the city silent minus the slight creaks coming from his car. Slowly, he snaked his arms under his chest, pushing his upper body off the ground. He was dusty, for sure, but minus the tears in his suit, he was fine.  
Perfectly unharmed.

He rolled over onto his back, staring up at the full moon. A figure blocked the circle, dropping down next to his body.  
Alexander.  
“Magnus,” he reached to cradle the man in his arms, only the clock struck midnight.  
And he was left kneeling in the empty road.

  
**EDOM TRUST ASSISTED LIVING**  
Magnus’ eyes snapped open, lurching forward as he fought to catch his breath. Reaching up to pull off his connector, his hand brushed with another. Catarina removed the wire, running a hand down his arm. He sat back in the chair, rubbing his eyes before letting out a sigh.

  
**1987**  
Alec found his footing, wobbling down the middle of the road. His feet brushed against the glass of the windshield, stepping over the tiny shards without a single scratch. He tugged off his jacket, dragging it on the floor behind him as he tilted his head back, staring at the stars.

**EDOM TRUST ASSISTED LIVING**  
The heat of summer finally started to fade away as August transformed to September. Magnus always loved the fall, reminding him of walking Raphael to school and his god awful attempts at dressing himself for the day.   
He was barely allowed outside anymore, instead resigning himself to staring out the vast windows as an oxygen tank pumped through his nostrils. At least there was Cat, and little Madzie to keep him company. He preferred them over the other old people who did nothing but play dominoes all day. That, and stare blankly at the walls.   
~  
Catarina helped him up to his room a little while later after a wave of nausea rushed over him. Just as he settled into his armchair, another coughing fit washed over him. They were getting worse- more painful, sharp.  Yet Cat remained, rubbing his back as to help ease him through it.  
~  
It was a few days later. Catarina had convinced whoever was in charge to allow him outside, just for a little while. They were resting in one of the many gardens on the grounds, watching the sun resign for the night behind the city. The leaves were changing, losing their deep green hues and fading to a lighter shade. They looked hazel.  
Magnus hummed. “Well okay then.”  
“Huh?” He looked at his nurse, blinking once. “Magnus?”  
“I said, ‘well okay then’.” She quirked a brow. “All things considered I guess I’m ready.”  
“For?”  
“For the rest of it.”   
They shared a look, offering each other small smiles.

  
**1987**  
Alec stepped out his apartment, waving at the people in the parking lot as he neared his car. He climbed into his black convertible, sliding the cassette into the deck as he pulled out the lot. He couldn’t help but sing along to the first lines of the song.  
_Ooh baby do you know what that’s worth?  
Ooh heaven is a place on Earth._

_  
_**EDOM TRUST ASSISTED LIVING**  
Magnus was laying in bed, a tube delivering a white liquid into his arm. His eyes caught Catarina’s, returning a smile before they fluttered shut.  
_They say in heaven, love comes first  
We’ll make heaven a place on Earth_  
The blue LED on his node went crazy

  
**1987**  
Alec raced along the highway in his car, music still blaring through the speakers. He knew where he was going, reaching over the console to grab the pair of sunglasses from his glove compartment.  
_Ooh heaven is a place on Earth_

_  
_**EDOM TRUST ASSISTED LIVING**  
Catarina stood in front of the gaggle of seniors, watching as the coffin was lowered down into the Earth,  sparks in the wood reflecting in the sunlight. A smirk crawled up on her features. Even when he was gone, Magnus continued to shine.  
_When I feel alone  
I reach for you  
And you bring me home_  
She stayed until they put the dirt back overtop, kneeling next to the gravestone and tracing her fingers over the letters.  
HERE LIES  
RAPHAEL SANTIAGO BANE aged 20 years  
MAGNUS LIGHTWOOD- BANE aged 74 years

  
**1987**  
Alec pulled his car down the dirt road and around the bend, the front door opening before it came to a full stop. Magnus skipped down the front steps of his bungalow, leaping into the passenger side. He grabbed Alec’s face with both hands, pulling him in for a kiss.  
_When I’m lost at sea  
I hear your voice  
And it carries me_

They roared down the highway, Alec barking out a laugh as Magnus’ hat whipped away in the wind. The other man huffed, turning to look at him.  
_Baby I was afraid before  
But I’m not afraid anymore_

Currently, their respective blue LEDs were being placed in their permanent home, residing next to those of all the other San Juniperians.  
_Ooh baby do you what that’s worth?  
Ooh heaven is a place on Earth_

“What is it?” he could feel Magnus’ eyes on him.  
“You might as well just move in with me.”  
“Mm?”  
“Yeah,” he reclined against the console, propping his feet over the side of the car. “But I hear we’re close to the city? I wanna move there.”  
Alec’s smiled burned brighter than the sun.  
_They say in heaven, love comes first.  
We’ll make heaven a place on Earth_

The pair had reached Pandemonium, dancing smack dab in the center of the floor. Their hands were clasped, Magnus twirling Alec in a circle. He laughed like a maniac, tumbling forward into his arms. Screw the fact there were hundreds of other people, he muzzled his head into Magnus’ neck. The older man continued swaying them back and forth, pressing a kiss against his head.  
_He could get used to this  
Ooh heaven is a place on Earth_


End file.
